Therapeutical apparatus.



A. E. SHOBMAKER. TEBAPBUTIGAL APPARATUS.

APPLIGATIOI FILED 1120.30. 1207.

rammed Feb. 2, 1909.

IN VEN TOR.'

A TTORNE Y.

r'ul um mn am. mlm. In c will WITNESSES.- A mi. C i um ALTX HEN LYSHOEUAKER, OF SEATTLE, WASHIXGTOX, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO vWILLIAM I.BWART, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

THIEBAPEUTICAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed December 30, 1907. Serial No. 408,648.

To all "whom "it 4may concern:

Be it known that l, ALVIN Henny Suor.- )Lxnnin a eiti'fzen of the UnitedStates. residing at Seattle. in the county of King and State ofTtl'ashinltou. hare invented certain new and useful lmprtwements inTherapeutical Apparatus, of which the following is a specilication.reference heing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This intention relates to therapeutical apparatus: and its object isthe. provision of devices of this character through the medium of whichthe curing of diseases which have hitherto been beyond the skill of themedical practitioner may he accomplished.

The invention consists in means or apparatus in a manner as hereinaftersetforth whereby a patient is subjected to external or atmosphericpressure to a predetermined amount reproducing under selected conditionsand to greater degrees an approximation to the varying densities of theatmosphere at. ditferent. elevations.

lt further consists in the means ner hereinafte set forth whereby suchartiieial conditions, or air pressures, are intermittently varied as tointensity, together with controllable means whereby such results may beregulated as to duration.

In the drawing, I illustrate apparatus embodying my invention in whichthe parts are shown partly in section and partly in elevation as to bestdisclose the construction and operation of the same.

The reference numeral 1 designates a receptaele of any suitable size toaccommodate a patient to be treated, which receptacle may be made ofglass and of any suitable shape. Said receptacle is closed at one end,as at 2, and has an opening furthe opposite end for a door 3 which maybe swung on hinges and is adapted to make an air-tight joint with thereceptacle casing. as by a asket 4. Said door is desirably arranged toswing downwardly when opening so that convenient access is had to theinterior of the receptacle for the admission of a hospit .l litter uponwhich the patient is introduced. or the removal thereof after treatin lThe door may be secured when closed in a bolt 5 which is hinged to lugs6 provided upm an attachment T of the receptacle and adapted to exi tendbetween ears provided in the periphery -l of the door and against whicha fasteningg nut 8 is brought to hear by manipulating the i same. Adjacent. of the door, and in the bottom of the receptacle, is an openingfrom which leads a pipe 9 to a tank 1()V hereinafter designated as theexhanster. '.lhis pipe has an outlet valve 1l through which thereceptacle may be drained of fluid collected while operating theapparatus and also of water used to el anse the interior of thereceptacle hetween successive operations.

Leading from an opening in the recept-arie, preferably at the closed endif', is a pipe l2 which communicates with a tank 13, hereinafterdesignated as a reserroir, in which is a supply of air under pressuresomewhat greater than that of the atmosphere and which is maintainedfrom a suitable compressor, not shown. connected by a charging pipe 1l.Said exhauster is evacuated, as much as may he. of its gaseous contentsby a suitable air-pump. not shown, through a connecting pipe 15. Thepipes 9 and 12, leading respectively to the exhauster and the reservoirfrom the receptacle, are provided with faires 1G and 1T for controllingthe How of gases therethrough. These valves may he of that class knownas plug-cocks and are regulated by arms 1G and 1T', but are set in suchrelation that one of them will he open when the other is closed and viceversa. Said valve arms extend through elongated apertures 1S and 1S in arod 18 which is mounted for reciprocation in guides 1i) and axiallyextends through a valve cylinder 20. interiorly of said Valve cylinder2O is a piston 2l rigidly connected to or formed integral with said rod.Upon the rod aie springs 9.2 and 23 which are regulated by adjustmentnuts 9.4 and 25 engaging with screw-threads provided therefor on therod. Communication is had between one end of the cylinder 2O and thereceptacle 1 by a pipe :5G which ma) be connected with the pipe 12intermediate such receptacle and the valve 1t?. The opposite end of thecylinder is provided with a small leak-hole 27 wherethrough the air isalternately admitted and discharged as the piston rccedes or approachesthat end of the. cylinder.

Lithia the receptacle is desirably employed a quantity of foraminoasmaterial 2S, such as cotton gauze and which may be treated to render thesame antiseptic. The function of this material is to form a meansthrough which the air from the reservoir percolates to diffuse the sameand likewise extract mechanically. and where the material has` beentreated chemically. as hereinafter stated. certain foreign substancescarried bv the air. '.l`he material is secured in place iii-an)Ysuitable or convenient manner. as liv a plate if) through which the endof the pipe l2 extends to receive a :setairing nut 3U for the plate.'liere .such devices are used the c vrreniitv of pipe 1'. is closed asat l2' and perforations l2 are provided in the pipe to allow of thee-'eape of the. air therefrom and so dispo-cal that the same will becaused to passthrough the interstiees of the material '2S before it canenter the chainber to the other side ot' the plate 2t).

ln the shell of the reservoir is an opening with a removable plug Illfor the introduction of chemicals which would he used in conjunctionwith the. compressed air in certain eases.

3Q represents a burner which is supplied with fuel gas through a pipeIl-' leadingr from a source of supply. The purpose ot' this burner is tohert the. contents of the reservoir prior to it.- delivery to thereceptaclc.A either for overcoming the cooling etlect due to theexpansion which would ensue in entering the. receptacle. or to canse thetemperature to be raiset'l to any extent appropriate to the ease undertreatment.

The operation of the invention is as follows: After the patient iswithin the receptacle and the latter herniet'icallv sealed by theclosing of the door, the apparatus is put in opei'ation by manuallymoving the rod 1S whereupon the .spring is conipressed and the valve 143is opened to permit the flow of air from the reservoir to thereceptacleand which will occur through the higher pressure prevailing inthe reservoir. Then .the pressure in the receptacle is thus built up. orduring such operation. the air from the pipe 1Q will enter the cylinder:'20 to canse the piston therein to be actuated to move the rod andagainst the retarding eflcct` due to the air at the opposite side of thepiston which resists compression and can oni)1 escape through theleak-hole, 2T. The spring 29. which was previously compressed assertsitself to assist in this action and overcome the opposingr springcompressing the latter to conserve the force thereof for accomplishingthe reverse movement of the rod. B v reason ot' the slots 1S and 16"heing provided in the rod, it is impelled a eertain distance before thevalve arms 1G and 1T are engaged to close the valve 16 and open thevalve1T. 'hen the said valves 1G and 1T have been thus al'ected communicationis closed between the receptacle and the reservoir and the compressedair from the receptacle is withdrawn through theA pipe f) into theexhauster 10 where the pressure is considerably than atmospheric. Thisaction is continued while the spring 23 l l l l l is operating first. tomove the rod, 1S against the resisting etl'ect ot' the air upon theopposite side ot' the piston 2l and thereafter until the rod operativelyengages the valve-arms to close, the vaive 1T against further flow tothe exhauster. and the valve lli to rees.'- tablish eoiizniunicationwith the reservoir. 'lhis completes :i c vcle of operation and fut'-ther c veles -irf` attained through the oltiees ot` the valve` and theircontrolling means, as above explained.

vllaving described in v invention, what 1 elaini. is-

l. ln apparatus of the class described. the combination with areceptacle. a tank for .storage of compressed air. a tank from which theair is exhausted. and pipe connections between the receptacle and therespective tanks` ot' valves in each of said pipe connect ions. meansfor controlling the action ot said valves so that the communicationthrough the respective said pipe tonnections are alternately opened andclosed. such means serving to retard the valve actions whereby thedni-ation of the tlow of air through each of said pipe connections nia vhe regulated.

L). therapeutieal apparatus comprising a receptacle for a patient, apair of tanks containing fluid under different pressures and adapted toalternately coinnuinicate with said receptacle, means wliereb)r thefluid troni the tank containing fluid under the higher-pressure will hesupplied to the receptacle to increase the pressure in the latter. andmeans for automatically establishing conin'ninication between the othertank and said receptacle to reduce the pressure in the latter when itreaches a predetermined stage and for shutting oft' communicationbetween the first tank and the receptacle.

3. therapeutical apparatus comprising a receptacle for a patient, a tankcontaining compressed air, a vacuum tank, a pipe conneet ion between thecompressed air tank and the receptacle. a valve in said connection, avalved pipe connection between the vacuum tank and the receptacle, andmechanism for alternately opening said valves for establishingcoiniinuiicatioii alternately between the tanks and the receptacle.

-l. A therapeutical apparatus comprising a receptacle for a patient, atank containing compressed air, a vacuum tank, a pipe connection betweenthe compressed air tank and the receptacle, a valve in said connection,a valved pipe connection between the vacuum tank and the receptacle, apressure actuated mechanism for openingr the valve in the vacuum tankpipe connection and for closing the valve in the air tank pipeconnection whereby the air tank is closed to the receptacle. and thevacuum tank opened to the anisni to close the valve in the vacuum pipeconnection and to open the valve of the air to close the valve in thevacuum pipe con-` tank pipe connection when the pressure in thereceptacle has been reduced.

A therapeutical apparatus comprising I a receptacle for a patient, atank containing compressed air, a vacuum tank, a pipe conf neetioubetween the compressed air tank and containing fluid under dllerentpressures the receptacle, a 'valve n1 .said connection, a ralved pipeconnection between the vacuum tank and the receptacle,mechanism foralterf nately upenlnjl said \'al\es for establlslung'. i

'f higher pressure will be supplied to the reconnuuniration alternatelybetween the tanks and the receptacle, and means for heating thecompressed air.

t. it therapeutical apparatus comprising a receptacle for a patient, atank containing compressed air, a vacuum tank, a pipe conneetinn betweenthe compressed air tank and the receptacle, a Valve in said connection,a valretl pipe connection between the Yacuum tank and the receptacle, apressure actuated mechanism for opening' the valve in the vacuum tankpipe connection and for closing the valve in thtl air tank pipeconnection whereby the air tank is closed to the receptacle and thevacuum tank opened to the receptacle, means to operate said mechanismnection and to cpen the valve of the air tank pipe connection when thepressure in the receptacle has been reduced, and means for heating thecompressed air.

T. A therapeutical apparatus comprising a receptacle for a patient, apair of tanks and adapted to alternately communicate with saidreceptacle, means whereby the fluid from the tank containing lmd underthe ceptacle to increase the pressure in the latter, means forautomatically establishing communication between the other tank and saidreceptacle to reduce the pressure in the latter when it reaches apredetermined stage and for shutting ottl connnunication between thelirst tank and the receptacle, and means for heatingr the fluid prior tothe supply thereof to said receptacle.

In testimony whereof l ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN HENRY SllOEllAKllll. Yitnessem HORACE BARNES, ROBERT B. GlLLIEs.

